Labs and Research Groups

In the codes and signal design lab, the current areas of research include error-correcting codes with a current emphasis on codes for distributed storage, wireless sensor networks and distributed function computation. The research is broadly based on principles of coding theory, information theory and wireless networks.

Codes for Distributed Storage: the distributed storage group has been and continues to be actively involved in studying problems faced in distributed storage systems.Our research is in part carried out in collaboration with NetApp.

Wireless Sensor Networks: The sensor network group's current primary focus is on designing and developing passive infra-red (PIR)-based WSNs for intrusion detection. Areas of research include lens design, intrusion simulation, machine-learning-based classification algorithms for intrusion detection. The work is sponsored in part by DeitY and in part by DRDO. The students in codes and signal design lab are guided by Prof. P. Vijay Kumar.

Faculty and students in network_labs conduct research in the area of networks. While the primary emphasis over the past 25 years has been on analytical, algorithmic and experimental research in communication networking, in the recent years there have also be contributions to social networks, and road networks. These labs are organised as Network Engineering Lab (NEL) group conduct research on modelling, analysis, optimisation, and control problems arising in networks, with the aim being primarily theoretical and algorithmic contributions.

Network Architecture Lab (NetArchLab) and Network Applications Lab(NetAppsLab) groups emphasizes on experimental work, system building, and test-beds. The algorithmic and analytical contributions required for the work in these labs comes from the work done in NEL. Some of the recent contributions include WLAN Manager, and its evolution, ADWISER (systems for managing enterprise wireless networks), and SmartConnect and 6PANview (systems for designing and managing sensor networks that arise in the Internet of Things).

Network Operations Lab (NetOpsLab) began in 1987 as a "point-of-presence" for India's first wide area packet network, namely ERNET. The NetOpsLab undertakes QoS monitoring and SLA management for the ERNET network.

The students and staff in network_labs are guided by Prof. Anurag Kumar, Prof. Utpal Mukherji, and Dr. Malati Hegde.

This lab focuses on modelling, analysis and design of communication systems. The current emphasis is on wireless communications. Phy, MAC and Network layer are considered in an integrated way to provide Quality of Service efficiently. The tools used are:Probability Theory,Statistics, Queueing Theory and Optimization. The problems encompass Communication Theory, Information Theory, Signal Processing and Communication Networks.

Our research interests are exploring and designing optimum networking algorithms by using computational methods and protocols for MANETs, ubiquitous learning, ubiquitous, pervasive and social networks. Our research group has achieved following, In MANETs, we have solved the prominent issues like node monitoring, resource management and routing. The ubiquitous network, which provides uninterrupted connectivity to the users anytime, anywhere, any device on any network technology, is the fundamental requirement for designing the ubiquitous applications.

We design solutions to some of the existing issues in ubiquitous network like the ubiquitous application node monitoring, optimized resource allocation, routing and reliable data delivery by using agents. Pervasive computing is a shift in computing paradigm, where we have designed a policy based user privacy scheme by collecting the context information of the users and their environment. Designing a generic actor model for social networks has been carried out and tested over the agriculture social network, and well appreciated by the research community.

New coding and modulation techniques for wireless channels are proposed and their performance evaluated by analysis and simulation. New classes of network codes and network-error correcting codes are investigated.

Speech, Music and other Audio signals define and influence a large part of human cognitive experience. Speech/Music compression for communication/storage, automatic speech/music recognition/classification for man-machine interaction, speech/music enhancement in noise/interference/disability, multi-channel sound source localization and sound field rendering are type of problems that we address using the technologies of signal processing and pattern recognition, which is both exciting, challenging and rewarding.

These topics touch science at one end (perception/cognition) and technology products (robots) at the other end, with many intermediary solutions.

Research facilities in the speech and audio signal processing lab are guided by Prof. T V Sreenivas.

As the lab name suggest this group works on the issues related to Statistical signal processing :space-time signal processing with application to wireless communication and acoustic signal separation. Areas of interest include:

This research group works on the issues in wireless communications such as: DS-CDMA, multi user detection, fading and diversity, space-time codes and wireless networks and protocols : energy efficient communications, ad-hoc and sensor networks.

The emphasis research of the Microwave Laboratory is on developing miniaturized and efficient components and subsystems for current and future applications in the extended radio frequency spectrum, making use of advancements in micromachining, micro-electromechanical systems, materials science and computational electromagnetics.

In areas of microwave imaging and antennas, we are investigating ultrawideband systems. in microwave and RF circuits involves techniques for generation of chirped pulses and studies on their propagation parameters. We are utilizing Si based microfabrication facilities to build vacuum tube devices like folded waveguide traveling wave tubes for sub-mm and THz frequencies.

In the computational domain, our work involves techniques for solving Maxwell’s equations.

Research activities in the microwave lab are guided by Dr. K. J. Vinoy

Embedded Sensing, Communications and Processing Lab

We explore problems at the interface of the physical and cyber-worlds. These are related to the design and optimization of of sensors, sensor interface electronics consisting of discrete as well as IC solutions, and finally embedded systems. A key research thread is "Low Power" and we explore ideas across the various layers of the design, from hardware to algorithms and software, in order to minimize power. Most of our work is experimental in nature and we like to build prototypes to test out the various ideas. Some of the major application areas which drive our research include: Neuro-electronic Hybrid Systems, Smart Water Solutions, Health Care and Embedded Vision.

As the name of the lab suggests, we are interested in the areas of digital signal processing, information theory, estimation theory, and their applications in the optimization of (mainly, wireless) communication systems. Current research spans a range of topics including MIMO communications with channel state feedback, channel estimation and joint channel estimation and data detection, cognitive radio, energy harvesting communications, compressive sensing and sparse Bayesian learning, scheduling and interference management in wireless networks.

Research activities in the signal processing for communication lab are guided by Dr. Chandra R. Murthy.

Bio-Engineering Lab

We need novel molecular sensing technologies to realize the dream of wide availability of personal healthcare devices for continuous monitoring. Our interests are along two broad themes. We work on the development of bio-molecular sensing techniques that provide a significant cost to performance advantage. We are also interested in understanding sensory signal processing inside living organisms with particular emphasis towards error-tolerance and specificity of sensing.

We have wide interests in studying light-matter interactions in novel nanoscale systems, ranging from electron bubbles in superfluid helium to helical nanoplasmonic devices, and magnetic nano-propellers.

Research in our group is focused on three apparently different nanoscale systems, ranging from nanometer sized bubbles containing single electrons in superfluid helium to a three dimensional array of plasmonic nanoparticles and magnetically actuated helical nanostructures. The experimental techniques used to probe these systems are similar in nature, relying on simple physical probes based on optics (spectroscopy), acoustic and hydrodynamics. The helical and plasmonic nanostructures are the building blocks of an integrated intelligent nano-system, and thus contribute towards achieving the same bigger research goal.

Analog and Radio Frequency integrated circuits make up a significant part of the global semiconductor market today. While these circuits have enabled the telecommunication and wireless revolutions in the last decade, ever increasing demand for bandwidth and spectrum is leading to new methods of optimizing the usage of the RF spectrum. In our group, we are currently working on two such areas - integrated cognitive radios and millimeter-wave radios. We are also working on analog and RF sensors and various methods of using them in distributed sensor networks, using low power radio transceivers. Such distributed sensors are expected to play a major role in building cyber-physical systems, for use in agriculture, healthcare, energy, and transportation.

Research activities in the Analog and RF system lab are guided by Dr. Gaurab Banarjee.

Numerics of Integrated Circuits and Electromagnetics (NICE) laboratory focuses on numerical formulation and algorithm development towards capturing the physics of circuit and electromagnetic effects. Consolidating our analysis framework, we venture into the world of automated design and synthesis of chip-package-systems under the umbrella of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) or Computer-Aided Design (CAD). We like high-speed communication channels, power-ground networks, through-silicon-vias, antennas to name a few. We think RF imaging is a powerful underutilized sensor. We are into cloud and mobile computing. We agree - the concept of “compute-power for all” aided by the cloud and “accessed-from-anywhere” aided by the mobile personal device is awesome! Our motto is to “BE NICE”.